Sony DCRTRV120 Digital Camcorder

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [3.61mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004WZPY
• Item model number: DCR-TRV120
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,109 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Sony DCR-TRV120 uses the Digital 8 format, which digitally records images onto standard Hi8 tapes. If you're upgrading from an 8mm or Hi8 camera, this format gives you the combined benefits of digital image quality and backwards compatibility with your old tapes.

A 25x optical zoom and 450x digital zoom will bring your shots closer, and Sony SteadyShot image stabilization technology will help to keep shakes and wobbles out of your video. For audio, the DCR-TRV120 offers 16-bit PCM digital stereo with 12-bit dubbing. If you prefer to shoot in the 16:9 widescreen ratio, this is also an option. To compose your films, you can use either the standard eyepiece viewfinder or a 2.5-inch swivel color LCD display.

With Sony's LaserLink feature, playback can be a snap--you just aim the DCR-TRV120 at the LaserLink receiver on select Sony TVs from up to 16 feet away, press play, and enjoy your videos directly on your TV--without wires or cassette adapters.

If you're planning to digitally edit your videos on your computer, the Sony includes an industry standard IEEE 1394 port (also known as iLink and FireWire) for image transfer, and a Control-L (LANC) interface for connection to editing equipment.

Sony's Super NightShot infrared system lets you capture footage in two modes. In standard NightShot mode the camera uses available visible and infrared light to illuminate the subject. With Super NightShot, an infrared LED on the front of the camera acts like an infrared spotlight: to the naked eye, it just looks like a standard red LED, but it produces enough infrared light to effectively illuminate the area in front of the camera.

The camera includes numerous extra features, including 14 picture effects and a five-mode audio-video fader, end search (which automatically forwards your tape to the end of the last footage shot), edit search, seven-mode program auto exposure, pass-through analog AV inputs, and an intelligent shoe for accessories.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, January 21, 2001

By 

Jeff The Conquerer (Frostbite Falls, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony DCRTRV120 Digital Camcorder (Electronics)

Digital home video is the wave of the future, and this camera truly expresses it. This camera comes close to perfect. It offers EXCELLANT picture quality. The quality is so good I compare it to twice the quality of a full size VHS camera (no not VHS-C). This camera has everything you need. An explanation of the features: Video format: Digital 8: Digital 8 is a digital signal recorded onto a High Band 8mm tape. There is less degradation as the film is played over and over because it's all Digital. Audio: 16 bit PCM Stereo: This meaens that even with that little microphone on the front, you're getting much better quality than with a 8mm or hi8. And it records with 2 channels instead of 1. Maximum CCD Resolution: 460,00 pixels: Thats a freaking ton of resolution for a home video camera. Thats more than anything you've probably ever used. Other things this includes: Super Nightshot 0 LUX: This enables you to shoot in perfect darkness at a better distance than normal nightshot. The camera emits two infraed beams from the front of the camera. This beams scatter and bounce of objects. The camera detects the beams bouncing back, using them to see. i.link DV Interface: This is the new standard for high speed transfer of information, usually digital video. This way you can plug into your computer and edit with it, with out having to sell the farm on equipment to turn analog into digital. 450x Digital Zoom: This means you can zoom in 450 times what the camera normally sees. Perfect for football games or looking for people far away. Auto Focus: The camera focuses it self, so you don't have to do any focusing to shoot S-Video Output: Amazon.com claims it isn't there, but it is. This enables non-digital transfer of very high quality video, your DVD player probably uses this feature. There are other features, but there are too many to mention! Over all this is an EXCELLENT camera. It lives up to the name Sony.

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Camcorder!, June 27, 2001

By 

B. R. Schimke (My House) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony DCRTRV120 Digital Camcorder (Electronics)

I am only 13 years old and I purchased this camera because me and my friends wanted to make movies. I use it every day and have had it for 8 months! It can be used for stop motion animation with clay and legos at 8 FPS and is 30 FPS during normal record. The remote is great for seting up the camera and then starting it when your also in the movie scene. Slow Motion is cool to and the Night Shot feature is great! Night shot has a 10 Foot range out side and from personal experience it has over a 50 foot range inside because it can bounce off walls. Night Shot is even better with the night shot upgrade attachment (Sold Sepretly, boost to 100 feet outdoors and over 300 feet indors!) Also in playback mode the buttons light up orange, a bug plus! Also the 25x OPTICAL gives you close ups at great quallity. For example you can zoon into someones PUPIL from 10 feet away with that much zoom and then 450x digital degrades quality but is helpfull for those far away shots. Super Steady Shot is great image stabilization to! The Carl Zies lens can focus at only .5 CM away! If you press your finger on the lense you can see your fingerprint clearly! Photo mode is great and so is the 100 min battery life! LCD screen degrades life by 10% when on. The 480 min batter (8 hour) lasts a long long time and is sold sepritly .... Has IEE 1394, S VIDEO, LAN (For pictures) and RCA COmposit cables for output and RCA Composit cables, S VIDEO and MIC input ports. Also a HEadphone jack and inteligant accesory shoe. YOu can search for pictures, dates, and times on the film and has 14 picture effects like negative and Pastel. 2.5 inch color LCD screen and manual/auto focus and exposure. So many more features I cant list. Has been a great buy and VERY durable (Has been dropped at 4 feet, fallen in puddles, ect). GREAT BUY!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Digital Camera At A Great Price!, July 3, 2002

By 

D. Bristol (Morgan Hill, CA. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony DCRTRV120 Digital Camcorder (Electronics)

I just recently purchased this video camera after deciding to upgrade from an old Hitachi 8 mm analog camcorder and I am really very pleased with this decision! This particular model is no longer being manufactured by Sony but Sony has a full line of parts and accessories for it and you can find some really excellent deals for a new or refurbished model if you do a little bit of web searching.

The cheapest digital camcorder far surpasses the best analog out there so if you are considering a new video camera, consider this one. I personally do not need, or want to pay for, state of the art features that many more expensive digital cameras have. This one has all of the features that I personally find important:

1.) Really nice resolution @ 460,000 pixels (Same as the 130,140,240,310,340,520,530 for starters)
2.) 25 X Optical and 450 X digital zoom
3.) Electronic image stabiliztion
4.) 2.5 inch swivel LCD screen
5.) Nite Shot and Super Night Shot modes (you can vid in total darkness!)
6.) Backwards compatability with my 8 mm and Hi 8 tapes
7.) Firewire (IEEE1394) output
8.) LANC interface for editing on pc
9.) Last, but not least, a reasonable price!

It has lots of special features that I don't use such as different fade options, titling and special effects but these also can easily be created by editing on your pc.

As a side note, Sony has put together a nice editing package called EZ Editor to go with their digital and digital 8 video cameras that contain the firewire card for the pc, the I-link cable for the camera's connection to the pc, Pinnacle 7 Studio editing software and a thick user's manual. It is so easy and so much fun to edit videos on the computer adding music and titles and voice over's along with different fades. I believe you can also edit analog video as well.

I am very happy with this camera and with the quality of the video that I am taking, especially at the price I paid! It is well worth the money and a high quality Sony product.